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MY LITTLE 


GEOGKAPHY. 



AS I HAVE LEARN D TO READ AND SPELL, 

1 , 


THIS LITTLE ROOK I LL BUY, 

AND STUDY ALL ABOUT THE EARTH 
ON WHICH WE LIVE AND DIE. 


J,-! OF 

CCPYRiGHl''^'' 


EDITED BY MRS. L. C. TUTHILL. 

i # 


PHILADELPHIA: 

LINDSAY & BLAKISTON, 

1847 . 


O'''^ 


♦ 


Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by 
LINDSAY & BLAKISTON, 

in the clerk’s office of the District Court of the Eastern District of 

Pennsylvania. 


EDITOR^S PREFACE. 


There are many books of Geography now in 
use, and very excellent some of them are ; yet 
this little work differs from all of them, and 
interferes with none. 

It describes the Earth and its natural divi- 
sions, as formed by the Creator, with its pro- 
ductions and inhabitants adapted to various 
climates, without resorting to imaginary lines 
and circles. As it is intended for the child’s 
first book of scientific study, it is made as clear 
and simple as possible, and will be useful in 
preparing the mind for more complete systems 
of Geography. 


( 3 ) 


IV 


PREFACE. 


The easy verses at the end of the chapters 
are all original, and are designed to fix in the 
memory the knowledge acquired. They will 
doubtless be learned by rote, and thus aid in 
strengthening a verbal memory; while the 
answers to the questions should, as far as pos- 
sible, be given in the child’s own words. Many 
simple questions are judiciously left without 
answers, to exercise the ingenuity of the learner. 

The little book is respectfully commended to 
Mothers and Teachers, with the hope and be- 
lief, that they will find it an efficient and agree- 
able aid in imparting the first principles of 
Geography. 

L. C. TUTHILL. 


Philadelphia, March, 1847. 


CONTENTS. 


Chap. I. LAND AND WATER Pape 17 

II. CONTINENTS 19 

• I 

III. ISLANDS 22 

IV. COASTS AND CAPES 26 

V. PENINSULAS, ISTHMUSES, AND SHORES ... 29 

VI. MOUNTAINS 32 

VII. VOLCANOES 36 

VIII. DESERTS AND OASES 39 

IX. HILLS AND VALLEYS 42 

X. THE OCEAN 45 

XI. BAYS AND HARBORS 48 

XII. SOUNDS 52 

XIII. SEAS AND STRAITS 55 

XIV. LAKES AND PONDS 60 

XV. RIVERS 63 

XVI. INUNDATIONS, WATERFALLS 69 

(xv) 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


’3 


XVII. NATURAL DIVISIONS 74 

XVIII. CLIMATE 76 

XIX. COLD CLIMATES 80 

XX. HOT CLIMATES 85 

XXI. TEMPERATE CLIMATES 89 

XXII. SOIL 95 

XXIII. MINERALS 98 

XXIV. VEGETABLES 103 

XXV. VEGETABLES OF COLD CLIMATES 107 

XXVI. VEGETABLES OF HOT CLIMATES HI 

XXVII. VEGETABLES OF TEMPERATF CLIMATES. 114 

XXVIII. ANIMALS 117 

XXIX. ANIMALS OF A COLD CLIMATE 121 

XXX. ANIMALS OF A HOT CLIMATE 125 

XXXI. animals OP A Temperate climate.... 132 

XXXII. men 136 


MY LITTLE GEOGRAPHY. 




CHAPTER I. 

■ Land and Water. 

What is this world that you live on called? 
A. The earth. 

Why do you say that you live on the earth ? 
A. Because it is a globe or ball, and we live 
on the outside of it. 

In what town do you live ? 

Did you ever hear of any other places ? What 
are they ? 

Are all the places you ever heard of on the 
same earth? 

A. They are, but they are so far from each 

other that I cannot see them all at the same time. 
2 ( 17 ) 


18 


LAND AND WATER. 


What is the part of the earth on which we 
live called ? 

A. Land. 

Is the earth all covered with land ? 

'A. No. A part of it is covered with land 
and a part with water. 

Is all the land together and all the water 
together ? 

A. No. Some of the land is in the midst of 
the water, and some of the water is in the midst 
of the land. 

Is the earth very large ? 

A. Yes. It is many hundred times larger 
than any town I ever saw. 

Who made the earth and all that is on it ? 

A. God. 

The God who made the earth so round, 

And every star above. 

Looks down upon each little child, 

And guards him with His love. 


CONTINENTS. 


19 


CHAPTER II. 

Continents. 

Is the land divided into portions of the same 
size ? 

A. No. Some of them are very large, and 
some very small. 

What are the largest portions of land called ? 

A. Continents, and they are so large that it 
would take a great many years to go all over 
them. 

How many continents are there ? 

A. Two. 

What are they called ? 

A. The Eastern and the Western continents. 

Could you ride in a carriage from the Eastern 
to the Western continent? 

A. No, because they are very far from each 
other, and it is all water between them. 


20 


CONTINENTS. 


On which continent do you live ? 
A. On the Western continent. 



Columbus. 


Four hundred years ago, the people on the 
Eastern continent did not know anything about 
the Western continent. A very wise man who 
lived then, thought that the earth was round, 
and he did not believe that the continent he 
lived on was all the land on the earth. Every- 
body laughed at him, but he did not mind it. 
He went to the king of Spain and asked him to 


CONTINENTS. 


21 


help him to go and look for the great country 
on the other side of the water. The king gave 
him three ships, and helped him to get food for 
his men, and all that he would need to be gone 
a great while. Christopher Columbus, for that 
was his name, was not afraid to go on the water, 
for he knew that God would take care of him 
when he was far away from any land, as well as . 
when he was at home. 

After sailing a great distance, Christopher 
Columbus found the Western Continent. When 
he returned to Spain the king gave him a great 
deal of money, and everybody praised him. 

When Columbus grew old he was very badly 
treated, and he was very unhappy before he 
died. 

Columbus left his friends and home 
To sail upon the sea. 

And when he found our continent, 

A happy man was he. 


22 


ISLANDS 



An Island. 


CHAPTER III. 

Islands. 

W HAT is an island ? 

A. An island is a portion of land with water 
all around it. 




ISLANDS. 


23 


Are all islands of the same size ? 

A. No. Some of them are so large that 
towns and villages are built upon them at a 
great distance from each other ; others are so 
small that there is only room for a few bushes 
or wild flowers to grow upon them. 

Where are islands found ? 

A. Some of them lie far away in the ocean, 
out of sight of any other land ; some are in seas 
and rivers, and some in little brooks that water 
the fields. 

Are two or three islands ever found together ? 

A. Yes. We sometimes find a number of 
islands of different sizes very near to each other, 
just like a family. From such a group of 
islands, in the warm South, we get the Canary 
birds that sing so sweetly in our cages. 

There was once a sailor who was crossing the 
ocean in a ship, and there came a violent storm, 
which dashed the ship to pieces, and drowned 
the captain and all the sailors but one. He 
was cast on the shore of an island. Here he 


24 


ISLANDS. 


was very lonely, as there were no other men 
upon it, and he would often wander along the 
shore, hoping that a ship would come in sight. 
For many years he saw nothing but the waters 
which were on every side ; but at length a ship 
stopped at the island and took him home to his 
friends. A story has been written about this 
poor sailor, in which he is called Robinson 
Crusoe, but that was not his true name. You 
must read the story about what happened to 
him while he was on the island, for you will 
find it very interesting. 


They tell me of beautiful islands, 

Afar in the tropical seas, 

Where flowers will blossom all winter, 
And oranofes bans: on the trees. 

o o 


But dearer to me is the island 
That lies in our own little bay. 

For there with my sisters and brothers 
I often have linger’d at play. 


ISLANDS. 


25 


When winter has frozen the waters 
On which we so merrily row, 

W e slide on the ice to the island, 
To build up our houses of snow. 

I always shall love the green island 
Where nothing but violets grow ; 
I might in the others find beauties. 
But this is delightful, I know. 


26 


COASTS AND CAPES 



CHAPTER IV. 

Coasts and Capes. 

What is a coast ? 

A. It is that part of the land which lies along 
by the side of the water. 

If you upset a basin of water on the floor, 
Mali it make a round spot, perfectly smooth at 
the edge ? 

o 

A. No. There will be a great many little 
points and crooked places about the edge. 



COASTS AND CAPES. 


27 


Are coasts perfectly straight? 

A. No, they are crooked, like the edge of the 
spot. 

Are all the points and crooked places on the 
coast called by the same name ? 

A. No. They are called by different names. 

When a piece of land reaches out into the 
water beyond the rest, and ends in a point, what 
is that point called? 

A. It is called a cape. 

Are capes dangerous places for vessels ? 

A. They are, for sometimes the captain does 
not know that he is near the land, and in the 
night his vessel is blown upon the cape, and 
before he can save it, it is stuck fast in the sand, 
or dashed upon the rocks. 

What are sometimes built on capes ? 

A. Tall houses, or towers, with a little room 
at the top, where a light is kept burning all 
night, to show the sailors that they are near a 
dangerous place. 

What are these tall houses or towers called ? 


28 


COASTS AND GAPES. 


A. They are called light-houses. 

When a cape rises up very high out of the 
water, in a great rock, what is it called ? 

A. A promontory. 


Whene’er the ship is near the coast. 

The captain dare not sleep : 

He walks the deck through all the night, 
Aj constant watch to keep. 


PENINSULAS, ISTHMUSES AND SHORES. 29 


CHAPTER V. 

Peninsulas, Isthmuses and Shores. 

What is a peninsula? 

A. It is a piece of land which reaches out 
into the water beyond the rest of the coast. 

When a peninsula has a narrow part, which 
joins it to the coast, what is it called ? 

A. An isthmus or neck. 

What does your neck join ? 

A. It joins my head to my body. 

What does an isthmus or neck of land join ? 

A. It joins a peniiusula to the main land. 

What large city is built on a peninsula ? 

A. Boston. 

What must you go over to get to Boston 
without crossing the water ? 

o 

A. I must go over the isthmus which joins it 
to the land. 


30 PENINSULAS, ISTHMUSES AND SHORES. 

What is a shore ? 

A. It is the edge of a coast where it meets 
the water. 

Are all shores alike? 

A. No. On some we should cut our feet 
oh the rocks ; on some we should have to take 
care not to lose our shoes in the sand ; on some 
we should sink in the mud ; and on some our 
feet would not leave the slightest track. 



Children upon the Shore. 


Is it pleasant to play upon the shore ? 

A. Yes, for there we can find pretty shells 
and little smooth stones. And then we like to 


PENINSULAS, ISTHMUSES AND SHORES. 31 

hear the sound of the water and watch the little 
fishes. 

How merrily the children shout 
Upon the pleasant shore ; 

They love to look for pretty shells, 

And hear the waters roar. 


i 


32 


MOUNTAINS. 


s 



Distant Mountains. 


CHAPTER VI. 

Mountains. 

What is a mountain? 

A. A mountain is a high, rocky portion of 
land. 



MOUNTAINS. 


33 


How do mountains look to us, when they are 
very far from us? 

A. They look of a dark blue colour. 

Do they look of the same colour when we 
come near to them? 

A. No, because they are covered with rocks 
and trees and bushes. 

Where do the highest trees grow on a moun- 
tain ? 

A. Near the bottom, and they are' very small 
as you go towards the top. 

When we go up a mountain, what must we 
be careful to do? 

A. To wear warm clothes, for even in sum- 
mer we shall find it very cool at the top. 

With what are the tops of the highest moun- 
tains always covered? 

A. With snow. 

Why does not the snow melt? 

A. Because it is so cold, up so high, that the 
snow which falls in winter never melts. 

There are some very high mountains on the 
3 


34 


MOUNTAINS 







Eastern continent, called the Alps. The tops 
of these mountains are always covered with 
snow. Some very kind men live in a large 
house upon one of these mountains. These 
men have strong dogs, which do not mind the 
snow, and when these dogs meet any travellers 
who are cold or tired, they show them the way 
to the place where those good men live. Here 
they are warmed- and fed and treated with great 
kindness. A great many people would have 



The Traveller on the Alps 



MOUNTAINS. 


35 


frozen to death or been buried in the snow on 
the Alps, if these dogs had not led them to the 
house of their kind masters. 


One stormy night, upon the Alps, 

A traveller, weak and old. 

Walk’d sadly on, through ice and snow. 
And shiver’d with the cold. 

His eyes were dim with weariness. 

His steps were short and slow ; 

At length he laid him down to sleep 
Upon a bed of snow. 

Before he closed his aching eyes, 

He heard a cheerful bark ! 

A faithful dog was by his side. 

To "uide him throufrh the dark ! 

And soon beside the fire he stood, — 
And earnestly he pray’d 
For those who train’d that noble door 

o ^ 

And sent him to his aid. 


36 


VOLCANOES. 



CHAPTER VII. 

- Volcanoes. 

4 

What is a volcano ? 

A. A volcano is a mountain, which sends out 
fire and smoke, from an opening at the top. 
What is the crater of a volcano ? 

A. It is the opening where the fire and smoke 
come out. 




VOLCANOES. 


37 


Do volcanoes ever send out any thing but fire 
and smoke ? 

A. Yes. Sometimes they throw out ashes 
and stones and lava. 

What does lava look like ? 

A. It looks like melted lead or iron. 

Do volcanoes send out ashes and stones, and 
lava, all the time? 

A. No. Sometimes only a little smoke comes 
out of the crater. 

What is an eruption of a volcano ? 

A. It is when the aslies and stones and lava, 
are thrown out of the crater. 

There is a volcano on the Eastern Continent, 
called Mount Vesuvius. There was once a 
large city near the foot of this volcano. One 
day, the people were busy in their houses, not 
being afraid of any harm, when suddenly there 
was an eruption. Strange noises were heard, 
ashes filled the air, and lava came pouring down 
Mount Vesuvius. Before the people could es- 
cape, the city was buried in the ashes and lava, so 
that not even the tops of the houses could be seen. 


38 


VOLCANOES 



The Mother and Child. 


A little child had gone to sleep 
Upon its mother’s breast, 

And, full of love, she looked at it. 
So peacefully at rest. 

But soon a fearful sound she heard. 
She could not fly from death. 

For burning lava filled the street. 
And ashes stopped her breath. 

For many years within their home 
There was no light or air. 

But in the ashes buried deep 
In silence, they were there. 


DESERTS AND OASES 


39 



An Oasis. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

Deserts and Oases. 

What is a desert ? 

A. A desert is a large portion of land, so sandy 
that nothing grows upon it. 

How do people cross the large deserts ? 

A. In companies or caraA'ans. 


40 


DESERTS AND OASES. 


Why would it not be safe to cross a desert 
alone ? 

A. Because there are wild beasts and wicked 
men in some deserts. 

Do the people in these caravans ride on horses ? 

A. No. They ride on camels, for horses could 
not bear such long, hard journeys, and they 
would often die for want of water. 

Are camels easy to ride upon ? 

A. No ; for their backs are very sharp, and 
their motion is tiresome. 

How does the sand of a desert trouble tra- 
vellers ? 

A. When they attempt to walk upon it, it is 
so hot that it blisters their feet, and it is blown 
in their eyes, and almost makes them blind. 

After travelling for many days without seeing 
a green leaf, or tasting a drop of water, what do 
travellers sometimes find 1 

A. A beautiful green spot, with a stream of 
water running through it, and trees loaded with 
ripe fruit, scattered over it. 


DESERTS AND OASES. 


41 


What is such a spot in a desert called ? 

A. An Oasis. 

What do people who are crossing the desert 
do, when they come to an oasis ? 

A. They take the loads from their poor camels, 
and let them drink the fresh water and eat the 
green grass, while they are enjoying the nice 
fruit, and resting in the pleasant shade of the 
trees. 


Amid the desert’s burning sand 
The green oases rise ; 

Where streams of cooling water flow, 
Beneath the scorching skies. 

The camel scents these pleasant spots 
When they are out of sight ; 

By rapid steps and lifted head 
He shows his great delight. 


D 


42 


HILLS AND VALLEYS 



Hill and Valley. 

CHAPTER IX. 


Hills and Valleys. 

What is a hill ? 

A. A hill is a high portion of land. 

What is a valley ? 

A. It is a low portion of land, between two 
hills or mountains. 

Are hills ever so high, that their tops are al- 
ways covered with snow ? 


HILLS AND VALLEYS 


43 


A. No. 

If you were to ride through a valley in 
summer, what would you notice with regard to 
the fields? 

A. That they looked very fresh and green. 

Why are the valleys green, when the fields 
upon the hills are withered in the hot sun ? 

A. Because the water runs down from the 
hills, and keeps the valleys moist. 



Boys sliding down a Hill 


44 


HILLS AND VALLEYS. 


How is all the land on the earth divided ? 

A. Into continents and islands. 

What names are given to the different parts 
of continents and islands ? 

A. Coasts, capes, promontories, peninsulas, 
isthmuses, shores, mountains, deserts, oases, 
hills and valleys. 

I love the hill, 

Said merry Will, , 

For there, upon the snow, 

I lake my sled. 

And slide ahead, 

As fast as I can go. 

I love the valley, 

Said gentle Sally, 

For there the lily grows. 

And there are rushes, 

And elder-bushes, 

And there the river flows. 


THE OCEAN. 


45 



A Ship in a Storm, on the Ocean. 


CHAPTER X. 

The Ocean. 

How do people go from one continent to the 
other ? 

A. They sail in vessels across the ocean. 
What is the ocean ? 

A. A vast body of water. 

What is the ocean sometimes called ? 

A. The sea. 


46 


THE OCEAN. 


Is the water of the ocean salt or fresh ? 

A. It is salt ; so salt that it is not fit to drink. 

What do people do for fresh water, while 
they are crossing the ocean ? 

A. They carry it with them from the land, in 
casks, on board their vessels. 

Is the water of the ocean deep ?' 

A. Yes, it is so deep that no one has ever 
reached the bottom with a line. 

What is the color of the w^ater where it is so 
very deep ? 

A. It is of a dark blue color. 

Is the water of the ocean smooth ? ^ 

A. It is when there is no wdnd. 

How does the ocean look when the wind 
blows ? . ■ . 

A. The waves are as high as large houses, and 
white with foam. 

Do vessels ever go far from land ? 

A. Yes. They often go out into the midst 
of the ocean, where they cannot see any land. 

Is the water of the ocean of any use ? 


THE OCEAN. 


47 


A. Yes, salt is sometimes made from it. 
What is another use of the salt water ? 

A. Sick people bathe in it, and sometimes it 
cures them. 

O ! pity the sailors who, far on the sea, 

Oft suffer with hunger and cold. 

And give a few pennies to build them a “ Home ” 

For all their disabled and old. 


48 


BAYS AND HARBORS. 



Ship at anchor, in a Bay or Harbor. 


CHAPTER XI. 

Bays and Harbors. 

You remember that coasts are not straight, 
but crooked and uneven. You have learned the 
names of the parts of the land, which run out 
beyond the rest, into the sea. Now there are 


BAYS AND HARBORS. 


49 


many places on the coast, where the sea runs up 
into the land : what are these called ? 

A. Bays or gulfs. 

Are storms as dangerous in a large bay, as on 
the ocean ? 

A. They are. 

Why? 

A. Because a bay is nearly surrounded by 
land, and vessels are in danger on all sides of 
being driven upon the shores. 

What is a harbor ? 

A. It is a small bay, where the water is al- 
ways smooth. 

Why is the water smooth in a harbor ? 

A. Because the land around it keeps the wind 
from blowing upon it. 

When a captain sees a storm coming on when 
he is near the coast, what does he try to do ? 

A. To get into a safe harbor before the storm. 

When a vessel enters a harbor after sailing 
on the ocean, what will the persons who are in 
the cabin perceive? 

4 


V 


50 


BAYS AND HARBORS. 


A. That the vessel stops rocking, and they can 
walk about, without staggering like drunken men. 

If they go on deck, what will they observe ? 

A. That the water looks green, and they can 
see the shore on both sides of them. 

What will they see around them ? 

A. Many vessels, some just entering the har- 
bor, and others at anchor, with their sails all 
taken in, and standing perfectly still in the water. 

What prevents these vessels from being car- 
ried along by the wind and tide ? 

A. Their anchors, which are let down by 
chains into the water. 



An Anchor and Cable. 


BAYS AND HARBOURS. 


51 


What is the anchor of a vessel made of? 

A. Of iron ; shaped as in the picture, that it 

may hold on firmly, when dropped to the bottom 

< 

of the harbor. 

What do the sailors call their anchors? 

A. They call them by strange names, such as 
“ Big Dagon,” “ Bold Tom,” and speak of them 
as if they were people. 

Can vessels anchor on the ocean ? 

A. No. . 

Why? - 

A. Because the water is so deep that the 
chain of an anchor cannot reach the bottom. 

Within the harbor’s safe retreat 
The ships at anchor lie ; 

While little boats with tiny sails 
Are swiftly gliding by. 

The angry ocean lies behind, 

The danger now is o’er, 

And thankful sailors shout with joy. 

And hasten to the shore. 


52 


SOUNDS. 


CHAPTER XII. 

Sounds. 

If you drop a long piece of cord into the 
water, and hold one end of it in your hand, will 
the cord sink ? 

A. No. It will float on the top of the wafer. 

How can you make it sink ? 

A. By tying a piece of lead or anything heavy 
to the end which I drop into the water. 

If your cord were long enough, would the 
lead sink to the bottom of the water ? 

A. It would. 

-If the lead touched the bottom, how could you 
tell how deep the water was ? 

A. By noticing how far the cord was wet. 

How do sailors tell how deep the water is, 
over which they are sailing ? 

A. By letting down into the water a long cord , 


SOUNDS. 


53 


with a lead to sink it, and pulling it up carefully 
to see how far it is wet. 

Do they measure the cord while it is wet ? 

A. No. They have knots or marks upon it 
at equal distances, and they count how many of 
these knots or marks are wet. 

What is finding the depth of water with a 
line and lead called ? 

A. Sounding. 

Why is sounding useful ? 

A. Because sailors often find out in this way 
when they are near to the land, before they can 
see it, and thus are saved from running into the 
sand, or being dashed upon the rocks. 

What is a sound ? 

A. It is a shallow part of the sea, which runs 
in between an island and the coast. 

Why is it called a sound ? 

A. Because the water is so shallow there, that 
it can be sounded with a lead and line. 


54 


SOUNDS 





A Boy fishing, and a Sailor showing him a sounding lead and line 

A piece of lead upon a line 
The little angler ties, 

And then he baits with care the hook, 

The fishes to surprise. 

The sailor’s line, more useful far, 

The hidden danger shows 
Of sandy shores and mighty rocks, 

O’er which the vessel goes. 


SEAS AND STRAITS. 


55 


CHAPTER XIII. 

Seas and Straits. 

Is there any salt water besides the ocean, and 
the places where it runs up into the land ? 

A. Yes, there are seas. 

What is a sea ? 

A. It is a large body of salt water, nearly sur- 
rounded by land. 

Are there any seas on our continent ? 

A. No. 

Then where are all the seas ? 

A. On the Eastern Continent. 


56 


SEAS AND STRAITS 



When the Israelites were going out from 
Egypt, where they had been so cruelly treated, 
they came to the shores of the Red Sea. Pha- 
roah. King of Egypt, was behind them with a 
very great army. The Israelites knew, that if 
Pharoali came up to them, he would make them 
prisoners and perhaps kill them all. If they 
had tried to go round the Red Sea by land, the 
Egyptians would have overtaken them, for they 


SEAS AND STRAITS. 


57 


had a great many horses and chariots, and the 
Israelites were on foot. As they stood trem- 
bling by the shore, God commanded their leader 
Moses to stretch out his arm towards the sea. 
He did so, and the waters divided, so that there 
was a dry path from one shore of the sea to the 
other. The Israelites walked joyfully on in the 
path which God had made for them. The 
waters rose up on each side of them, like high 
walls, yet not a drop fell upon them. When 
they had reached the other side in perfect safety, 
they looked back and saw that the Egyptians 
had followed them, and were now in the midst 
of the sea. While they were looking at their 
enemies hastening on to overtake them, they saw 
the waters close over them ; and the path by 
which the Israelities had just passed was forever 
covered by the sea. 

Where is this story found ? 

A. In the Bible. 

In what book of the Bible ? 

A. In the book of Exodus. 

E 


58 


SEAS AND STRAITS. 


On what continent is the Red Sea ? , 

A. The Eastern continent. 

How is the word straight, which means not 
crooked, spelt? 

A. S-t-r-a-i-g-h-t. 

There is another word which is pronounced in 
the same way, but spelt s-t-r-a-i-t : what does that 
mean ? ' 

A. Narrow. - _ 

What is a strait gate then ? 

A. A narrow gate. 

There are bodies of water which are called 
straits. What is such a strait? 

A. A narrow passage of water between two 
seas, or between a sea and the ocean. 

What is the only place where a sea is not sur- 
rounded by land ? 

A. The strait which joins it to another sea or 
to the ocean. 

What are some of the names given to the 
different bodies of salt water ? 


SEAS AND STRAITS. 


59 


A. The ocean, seas, gulfs, bays, sounds, har- 
bours, &.C. 

t 

t ) 

'' Jehovah rent the rolling sea, 

And Jed his people through ; 

This mighty Friend is still on high, 

And watches over you. 


I 


/ 


t 


'‘4 V- ■. 




I 


60 


LAKES AND PONDS 



A Lake. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Lakes and Ponds. 

If you were travelling in this continent, you 
would sometimes meet with a large body of 
water with land all around it. You might at 
first think it was a sea ; but you would soon find 
that the water was fresh, for you would see the 


LAKES AND PONDS. 


61 


cattle coming down to the shore to drink. Now, 
what is such a sheet of water called ? 

A. A lake. 

What is the difference between the water of 
a lake and that of a sea ? 

A. The water of a lake is fresh, and the water 
of a sea is salt. 

What is a lake ? 

A. It is a body of fresh water, surrounded by 
land. 

What are very small lakes called ? 

A. They are called ponds. 

Is the water in ponds rough or still ? 

A. It is still ; so still, that flowers with very 
long stems grow up from the bottom, and blos- 
som on the top of the water. 

What are these flowers called ? 

A. Pond or water-lilies. 

In the northern part of the United States, 
there are some very large lakes, so large that 
great ships sail upon them. Some years since 
the British were at war with our country, and 


62 


LAKES AND PONDS, 


sent a great many men in vessels to fight with 
the men in our vessels upon these lakes. The 
British had never seen such large lakes before, 
and they thought the water must be salt, so they 
carried casks on board their vessels, filled with 
fresh water for the men to drink. The Ameri- 
cans laughed to see the British taking such good 
care of the water in their casks, and drinking it, 
although it was so old that it was almost yellow. 
The British sailors must have been very glad 
when they found that they did not need their 
casks, but could dip up fresh water from the 
cool deep lake on which they were sailing. 

Upon the Western Continent 
There’s not a single sea ; 

But many rivers, wide and long, 

And mighty lakes have we. 


RIVERS 


63 



CHAPTER XV. 

Rivers. 

If you pour water upon a cellar-door or any 
other sloping place, which way will it run ? 

A. It will run down. 

What becomes of the rain which falls upon 
the hills and mountains, and the snow which 
melts in spring ? 


64 


RIVERS. 


A. They collect in the hollows, and form little 
streams or brooks. 

In what other way are brooks formed ? 

A. There are springs where the water bubbles 
up constantly, and runs off in brooks. 

When two’ of these little brooks meet, what 
happens ? 

A. They join, and run on together in one large 
stream. 

What becomes of this stream ? 

A. It runs on, and meets other little brooks, 
which join it, until it becomes so large, that it is 
called a river. 

Where is a river said to rise ? 

A. Where the little brooks join together, and 
make a large stream. 

In what way do rivers sometimes rise ? 

A. They sometimes run out of little lakes, 
and then they are said to rise in these lakes. 

Does a river grow larger or smaller as it flows 
on? 

A. Larger. 


RIVERS. 


65 


Why? 

A- Because new brooks and streams are con- 
stantly running into it, and every one makes it 
larger. 

If you were to commence where a river rises, 
and ride along upon its banks as it grew wider, 
how would you always find that it seemed to 
end ? 

A. By running into some large body of water, 
such as another river, a sea, or a lake. 

What is the place where a river joins a large 
body of water called ? 

A. Its mouth, or the place where the river 
empties. 

If you were to watch the water of a stream or 
river, what would you notice ? 

A. That it was always moving. - 

If you were to put several pieces of wood, or 
little boats into a stream or river, would they all 
float the same way ? 

A. They would. 

Could you not make some go towards the 
5 


66 


RIVERS. 


place where the river rose, and some towards the 
place where it emptied ? 

A. No ; they would all float down the river. 

What is meant by down the river ? 

A. Towards its mouth. 

Then, which way does the water run in a 
river ? 

A. Towards its mouth, where it joins a larger 
body of water. 

You speak of a river’s emptying itself ; does 
. the water all run from the river into the large 
body of water into which it empties ? 

A. No. The water is always running out 
of the river into the large body of water, yet the 
river is never empty. 

Why not? 

A. Because the little streams which run from 
the hills and springs, keep it full. 

Is there anything else which helps to keep 
the rivers full ? 

A. Yes, the rain which falls from the clouds. 


•RIVERS 


67 



The Country Lad and the River. 

A country lad, with honest air, 

Stood by the river-side ; 

He put his basket calmly down, 

And gazed upon the tide. 

Across the river’s rapid flood. 

He saw the village, well, 

’Twas there he meant to see his aunt, 
And there his turnips sell. 

The stream was full with recent rain, 
And flowed so swiftly by, 


68 


RIVERS. 


He thought he would with patience wait, 
And it would soon be dry. 

For many hours he waited there, 

But still the stream flowed on ; ^ 

And when he sadly turned away. 

The summer day was gone. 

His turnips might have gone to seed. 

His aunt have pined away ; 

For still the stream kept flowing on. 

Nor has it stopped to-day. 


1 


INUNDATIONS 


69 



An Inundation. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

Inundations — Waterfalls. 

Although rivers keep running on and are 
never dry, are they ever too full ? 

A. They are. 

When is this ? 

A. When it has rained a very long time, and 
■when the snow melts very fast in the spring. 



70 


INUNDATIONS. 


What happens when a river becomes too full ? 

A. The water runs very rapidly, and spreads 
over all the land near its banks. 

When a river becomes too full and overflows 
its banks, what is this overflowing called ? 

A. An inundation. 

Are inundations ever sudden ? 

A. Yes. Rivers often overflow their banks in 
a single night. 

When an inundation is sudden, what happens 
to the people who live near the banks of a river ? 

A. The water rises so fast, that before they 
can get out of their houses, their yards are filled 
with it, and sometimes it even runs in at the 
door and fills all their lower rooms, so that they 
are obliged to save themselves from drowning, 
by running up stairs and staying there until the 
water goes down. 

Are houses ever carried away by an inun- 
dation ? 

A. Yes. Sometimes houses, trees and ani- 


WATERFALLS. 


71 


mals are swept away, and carried along by the 
rushing waters'. 

If you hold a pitcher of water very near to a 
basin, will the water make any noise, as you 
pour it out ? 

A. ■ Very little. 

If you put the basin on the floor, and hold the 
pitcher as high as you can while you pour out 
the water, how will it sound ? 

A. It will make a loud splashing noise. 

When a stream runs along on even ground, 
does it make much noise ? 

A. It does not. 

When a stream comes to a steep place where 
the ground suddenly becomes lower, how does 
, the water come down ? 

A. It falls with a rushing, roaring sound ? 

How does the water look, when it reaches the 
low ground at the bottom ? 

A. White vrith foam. 

What is that part of a stream called, where it 
suddenly falls from a higher to a lower place? 

A. A waterfall. 


72 


WATERFALLS. 


Where do waterfalls make the loudest noise ? 

A. Where a stream falls over high sharp rocks. 

Are waterfalls beautiful ? 

A. They are, and persons often travel a great 
many miles to see them. 

How do waterfalls look when the sun shines 
upon them ? , 

A. The smooth stream at the top is bright 
like silver, and the flying drops sparkle as they 
fall, like little stars. 

Did you ever see a waterfall ? 

A little brook, within a meadow, 

Went winding through the grass ; 

So calmly flowed its crystal waters. 

They looked hke shining glass. 

But soon it reached a lofty forest, 

And danced among the trees ; 

They seemed rejoiced to see it coming. 

And rustled in the breeze. 

The brook had now become so merry, 

It almost seemed to shout ; 

It leaped among the bending willows, 

And whirled the leaves about. 


WATERFALLS 


73 



A Waterfall. 

Below the forest was a valley, 

The rock between was steep ; 

Yet madly roaring, on it hurried. 
Impatient for the leap. 

Among the rocks it brightly sparkled. 
And filled the air with spray ; 

It reached the valley white with foaming. 
And wildly went its way. 

The little brook now ceased its frolic, 

A calmer course to take. 

And through the valley rolled its waters, 

And mingled with the lake. 

F 




•■74 


NATURAL DIVISIONS. 


CHAPTER XVII. . 

Natural Divisions. ■ " 

' V 

You have now learned how the land and 
water are divided into continents, islands, seas, 
rivers, &c. Who separated the land from the 
water and made all these divisions ? 

A. God, when he made the world. 

What are these divisions called ? 

A. Natural divisions. 

When you speak of anything as natural, for 
instance, a natural flower, what do you mean ? 
A That it is just as God made it. 

Then what are natural divisions ? 

A. Divisions made by God. 

Do the natural divisions of the earth always 
continue the same ? 


NA.TURAL DIVISIONS. 


75 


A. They do. 

Can we alter them ? 

A. We cannot. 

Can yon tell me the names of the natural 
divisions of land', about which you have learned ? 

Tell me in your own words, what you mean 
by a continent, an island, &c. 

Tell me the names of the natural divisions of 
water, about which you have learned. 

What do you mean by a sea, the ocean, a 
lake, &c. ? 

The largest cities must decay, 

And every man must die, 

But the divisions made by God, 

Are changeless as the sky. 


76 


CLIMATE. 



A large Orange. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

Climate. 

Is it just as warm everywhere on the earth, 
as it is where you live ? 

A. No ; in some places it is a great deal 
hotter, and in others a great deal colder. 

What two marks or spots will you find on an 
orange ? 

A. One at the top, where the stem was broken 
off, and another at the bottom, opposite to it. 

If you examine an orange, you will find that 


CLIMATE. 


77 


it is flattened at the top and bottom where the 
spots are, and swells out larger between them. 
Then, where is the orange thickest ? from spot 
to spot, or where it swells out between them ? 

A. Where it swells out between them. 

Now, the earth is shaped like an orange. Where 
are the coldest parts of the earth ? 

A. At the two places on the earth, which may 
be compared to the spots at the top and bottom 
of the orange. 

Where is the hottest place on the earth ? 

A. Where it rounds out, half-way between 
the coldest places. 

If you lived in the hottest part of the earth, 
could you take an afternoon ride in a carriage 
to the coldest part of the earth ? 

A. No. It would take me a long time to 
travel from a hot country to a cold one. 

Would you travel a great while through a 
very hot country, and suddenly come to a cold 
one ? 

A. No. 


78 ’ 


CLIMATE. 


How would it appear to you ? 

A. At first I should be very warm ; but as I 
went on I should grow colder and colder, until 
at last, if I went far enough, I should freeze. 

If you should turn round, and travel back to 
the hottest part of the earth, how would it appear 
to you ? 

A. I should be cold at first, and grow warmer 
and warmer until I should be almost dead with 
the heat. 

/ 

On such a journey, where would you be most 
comfortable ? 

A. Between the very cold and the very warm 
countries. 

Why? 

A. Because I should be neither too warm nor 
too cold. 

When a part of the earth is A'ery hot, what do 
you say of it ? 

A. That it has a hot climate. 

When a part of the earth is very cold, what 
do you say of it ? 


CLIMATE. 


79 


A. That it has a cold climate. 

When a part of the earth ‘is neither cold nor 
hot, what do you say of its climate ? 

A. That it is temperate. 

The coldest climes upon the earth 
Are separated far ; 

While all together, closely joined, 

The hottest regions are. 


80 


COLD CLIMATES 



A White Bear floating on an Island of Ice. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

Cold Climates. 

Could you sail in a vessel to the coldest parts 
of the earth? 

A. No. 

Why not ? 

A. Because it is so cold there, that even the . 
ocean freezes, so that we could not sail upon it. 


COLD CLIMATES. 


81 


If you could reach there by land, what would 
happen to you as soon as you arrived ? 

A. I should die with cold. 

Has any one ever been to the coldest parts of 
the earth ? " 

A. Not to the coldest parts, for they would 
freeze to death long before they reached there. 

In the coldest climate in which men can live, 
with what is the ground covered the greater part 
of the winter ? 

, A. With snow and ice. 

Do the snow and ice ever melt, and leave 
the ground bare ? 

A. They do. 

When? 

A. For a little while in the summer. 

Is the summer in such cold climates as loner 
as ours ? 

A. No. It is very short : it lasts only a few 
weeks. 

What is all the rest of the year ? 

A. A long dreary winter. 

6 


82 


COLD CLIMATES. 


Are the nights and days, in such climates, of 
the same length as ours ? 

A. No. In the very coldest parts of the earth, 
half of the year is day, and half night. 

How do the stars look to us in a warm night '! 

A. They shine very dimly, and sometimes 
there seems to be a mist before them, so that 
we hardly see them. 

How do they look to us in a clear cold night ? 

A. Very bright and beautiful. 

How do the stars look in the long nights of 
cold climates ? 

A. Much brighter than they ever do to us. 

Are there any islands in the oceans and seas 
of cold climates ? 

A. Yes; there are many, with people living 
upon them. 

There is one large island in this cold region, 
that has volcanoes and springs of boiling hot 
water upon it, and yet it is not warm there. 
What is this island called ? 


COLD CLIMATES. 


83 


A. It is called Iceland, because there is so 
much ice there. 

Large pieces of ice often become separated 
from the ice of the frozen ocean, and float to- 
wards warmer climates. What are these float- 
ing masses called ? 

A. They are called icebergs, or ice islands; 
but, of course, no people live upon them. 

Some of them are as high as the steeple of a 
church, and look very beautifully. Do sailors 
like to see them ? 

A. They do not ; for vessels are sometimes 
dashed upon them, and broken to pieces. 

Of what use are icebergs and islands of ice ? 

A. They help to cool the air of warmer cli- 
mates. 


A winter’s niorht 

O 

Gives us delight, 

And much the stars we love ; 
Their sparkling light 
Attracts our sight, 

And lifts our thoughts above. 


84 


COLD CLIMATES. 


They have, I hear, 

In climes severe, 

A longer, colder night ; 

But God is there. 

With loving care. 

To make the stars more bright. 


\ 







HOT CLIMATES 


85 



Hurricane. 


CHAPTER XX. 

\ 

Hot Climates. 

\ 

Is there any part of the earth where there is 
never any cold weather ? 

A. There is. 

' What then is the climate of that part of the 
earth ? 

A. A hot climate. 


86 


HOT CLIMATES. 


Could you stand in the sun, in such a climate, 
in the middle of the day ? 

A. I could not. 

Why can the people who live there hear the 
heat? 

A. ^Because they are accustomed to it, and 
they were made to live there. 

Does a thunder-storm change the air in the 
hottest days that we have ? 

A. Yes; it makes it more cool and pleasant, 
after it is over. 

Do they have many sudden and violent storms 
in hot climates ? 

A. They do ; sometimes the wind blows so 
furiously, that it tears up trees by the roots, over- 
turns houses, and roars like thunder in the 
forests. 

Of what use are such storms ? 

A. They make the air more pure, so that it is 
safer to live there. 

Have they any ice in hot countries? 

A. Only when it is carried there in vessels, 
from a cold climate. 


HOT CLIMATES. 


87 


Where does the ice come from, that is car- 
ried to them ? 

A. It is cut from frozen ponds, lakes, and 
rivers ; for they are all fresh water. 

Does it ever snow in hot climates ? 

A. Never ; and if it did, the snow would melt 
as soon as it touched the ground. 

What is the meaning of the word quake ? 

A. To shake, or tremble. 

In hot countries the ground sometimes shakes, 
and a rumbling noise is heard : what are these 
shakings called ? 

A. Earthquakes. 

What harm is done by earthquakes ? 

A. Houses are shaken down, and even whole 
cities have been destroyed by them. 

Where are earthquakes most common ? 

A. In hot climates. 

Many years before ice had been carried to 
hot countries, a traveller from a cold climate 
visited one of those countries. He went to pay 
the king a visit, and saw in the palace a great 


88 


HOT CLIMATES. 


many beautiful things, such as he had never seen 
before. The king asked the traveller about the 
country he came from, and believed all he said, 
until he mentioned that the rivers of his distant 
home were every winter covered with ice, so 
hard and strong, that an elephant could walk over 
it, without breaking it. When the king heard 
this, he was very angry, for, as he had never 
heard of ice before, he thought the traveller was 
telling him a lie, and ordered him to be carried 
to prison. It was with great difficulty that the 
poor man escaped with his life. Many things 
that could be told of hot climates might seem as 
strange to us as the ice story did to the ignorant 
king. 

When fast it pours, 

And thunder roars, 

Then raise an earnest prayer 
To Him whose power 
Has sent the shower 
To purify the air. 


TEMPERATE CLIMATES. 


89 


CHAPTER XXL 

Temperate Climates. 

Where are temperate climates? 

A. Between the hot and the cold. 

In what kind of a climate do you live ? 

A. Where it is warm a part of the year, and 
cold a part of the year. 

What is the warm part of the year called ? 

A. Summer. 

What is the cold part called ? 

A. Winter. 

What is that part called between winter and 
summer, when it is neither very warm nor very 
cold ? 

A. Spring. 

G 


90 


TEMPERATE CLIMATES. 


There is another very delightful part, between 
summer and winter. What is it ? 

A. Autumn. 

Then what are the four seasons ? 

A. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. 

What is the climate in which you live called ? 

A. A temperate climate. 

Then you can answer the following questions, 
if you have used your eyes ,and ears rightly, 
for they are about things that you have seen and 
heard? 

Do they have snow in a temperate climate ? 

\ 

Do you know that every flake of snow is 
formed like a perfect little star ? 

How large were the largest hail-stones you 
ever saw ? 

Does it ever thunder and lighten in a tem- 
perate climate ? 

Did you ever hear of any person’s being 
frozen to death in a temperate climate ? 

Did you ever hear of any person who died 
from the heat in this climate ? 


TEMPERATE CLIMATES. 


91 


What amusements have you here, that you 
could not enjoy either in hot or cold climates ? 



Spring. 

While farmers are sowing, 

And violets growing. 

We will not complain of the weather ; 
Though showers are falling. 

And mud is appalling. 

To school we will hasten together. 




92 


TEMPERATE CLIMATES 



Summer. 

While farmers are reaping, 

And melons are creeping, 

We will not complain of the weather ; 

Though peaches are smiling. 

And orchards beguiling. 

To school we will hasten together. 

♦ 


TEMPERATE CLIMATES 


93 



• 

Autumn. 

While chestnuts are dropping, 
And squirrels are hopping, 

We will not complain of the weather. 
But pleasantly talking. 

And rapidly walking. 

To school we will hasten together. 


*1 




94 TEMPERATE CLIMATES. 



Winter. 

While sleigh-bells are sounding, 
And snow-balls abounding, 

We will not complain of the weather. 
But merrily sliding. 

While others are riding. 

To school we will hasten together. 


SOIL. 


95 



A Garden. 


CHAPTER XXII. 

Soil 

When we set out a plant, to grow in a flower- 
pot, what do we call the earth with which we 
fill the pot? 

A. Soil. 

Would you take the soil from the top or sur- 
face of the ground, or dig down deep for it? 


96 


SOIL. 


A. From the top of the ground. 

Why? 

A. Because the soil lies upon the top, and 
further down there is sand, or rock, or clay. 

What makes the soil at the top different from 
the ground below ? 

A. The plants and animals that die, decay 
and mix with- the ground on the surface, and 
make it rich. 

What is meant by a rich or fertile soil? 

A. A soil which is so good for plants, that the 
seeds which happen to fall upon it, spring up 
and grow, without any care. 

What is meant by a barren soil ? 

A. A soil where very few things will grow. 

When sand covers the top of the ground, 
what is that soil called ? - 

A. A sandy soil. 

If the soil is not rich, can it be made so ? 

A. It can. 

How ? 


SOIL. 


97 


A. By putting things upon it which mix with 
the ground, and make it rich. 

When you are riding in the country, how can 
you tell whether the ground is barren or fertile ? 

A. Where the soil is rich, the country is 
covered with large and beautiful plants, while 
often, on a barren soil, nothing grows but short 
grass aod wild berry bushes. 

If you take a wild flower from a barren soil, 
and place it in the rich soil of the garden, how 
will it change ? 

A. It will grow much larger, and more beau- 
tiful. 

The plants will spring with little care, 

Upon a fertile soil ; 

While nothing grows on barren ground, 

Unless by patient toil. 


7 


98 


MINERALS 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Minerals. 

Do stones and metals grow ? 

A. They do not. 

Can they move about like animals ? 
. A. They cannot. 

Why? 


MINERALS. 


99 


A. Because they have no life. 

Then what are things called which never 
grow, and have no life ? 

A. Minerals. 

Are minerals harder and more heavy than 
any part of animals or vegetables ? 

A. They are. 

Which is the hardest and heaviest mineral ? 

A. The diamond. 

Then what are diamonds, rubies, and other 
precious stones ? 

A. They are minerals. 

^What are such minerals as gold, silver, iron, 
lead, and copper called ? 

A. Metals. 

If you had a piece of gold, and a piece of 
iron, each as large as your head, which would 
be worth the most money ? 

A. The piece of gold. 

What metals are used for money ? 

A. Gold, silver, and copper. 

What are gold and silver called ? 


100 


MINERALS. 


A. Precious metals. 

Which is really the most useful metal ? 

A. Iron. 

What things can you think of that are made 
of iron? 

What things of silver ? 

What of gold ? ^ - 

There are many useful minerals which are 
not metals, such as marble and other stones, for 
buildings. There is a mineral which is not a 
metal, that is sometimes made from the water 
of the sea, and sometimes dug out of the earth. 
It is white, and seasons almost all our food. 
What is it ? 

There is a black mineral which is not a metal : 
it is taken out of the earth in large pieces, and 
broken into small ones, for us to burn. What 
is it ? 

Can you think of any other useful minerals, 
that are not metals ? 

Where are minerals found ? 

A. On or in the ground. 


MINERALS. 


101 


What are the places called where they get 
out marble and other building stones ? 

A. Quarries. 

What are the places called where other mine- 
rals are dug out of the earth ? 

A. Mines. 

When mines have been worked many years, 
they become very deep, and extend a great dis- 
tance under ground, like large caves. In some 
countries, criminals, that is, people who have 
done wicked things, are sent to work in these 
mines, as a punishment. There they often 
live under ground for many years, without see- 
ing the light of the sun or the beautiful sky. 
They never hear the singing of the birds nor 
smell the sweet flowers. When their day’s work 
is done, they go to their miserable huts, which 
are built in the mines. After toiling for a long 
time in the mines, many of these miserable 
creatures die and are buried there. 

The people who live in mines are not always 
wicked. Honest, but poor men, with their 


102 


MINERALS. 


wives and children, spend all their lives in the 
mines. 


Within the damp and gloomy mines 
Some children toil for bread ; 

And often, when their task is done, 
Go supperless to bed. 

i 

While I, among the merry birds, 

Or looking at the flowers. 

Or reading pretty story-books. 

Can pass my happy hours. 

» ' 

Then, since I have so many joys, 

I will not wish for more ; 

But try to be more satisfied 
Than I have been before. 


VEGETABLES 


103 



Pond-Lilies. 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

Vegetables. 

What are all plants called, large and small, 
that grow on the land and in the water ? 

A. Vegetables. 

You know a great many vegetables that grow 



104 


VEGETABLES. 


on. the land ; can you mention any that grow in 
the water ? 

How would the earth look if there were no 
trees or other plants upon it ? 

A. Very bare and ugly. 

Then what is one use of plants ? 

A. To make this earth pleasant to live upon. 

But could we live at all, without plants ? 

We could not. We should soon die with- 
out them ; and so would all land animals. 

Of what use are trees ? 

A. They shade us from the sun, and bear 
nuts and other fruits. 

But trees are useful in many ways. What 
do we call the hard part of trees ? 

A. Wood. - 

t 

Mention some things made of wood. 

Do we ever eat the bark of trees ? 

A. Yes; Cinnamon is the bark of a tree. 

Did you ever taste any other kinds of bark ? 

What were they ? 


VEGETABLES. 


105 


You would not like the bark of a tree for 
dinner : are there any other plants better for 
food ? 

A. Yes; many. The different kinds of bread 
are made from plants. 

What plants are most commonly used for 
bread ? 

A. Wheat, rye, and Indian corn. 

After wheat, rye, and corn are ground, what 
are they called before they are made into bread ? 

A. Flour, or meal. 

What other plants are important articles of 
food? 

A. Those raised in fields and gardens, as 
potatoes, rice, turnips, and so forth. 

How are plants useful to the sick ? 

A. They are given to them as medicine. 

Can you mention any plants used for medicine ? 

Are the flowers of any use ? 

A. Poppies, roses, and many other flowers 
are used for medicine ; and in every flower there 
is something beautiful. 

H 


106 


VEGETABLES. 


Of wliat use is the grass? 

A. It affords pleasant food to some of the most 
useful animals, and covers the earth with a rich 
green carpet. 

Do plants die ? 

A. They do, and decay, and mingle with the 
soil. 

I • 

If nothing green 
On earth were seen, 

How dreary it Avould be ! 

The barren ground, 

The whole year round. 

We could not bear to see. 

And much, indeed. 

The plants we need. 

For clothing, fire, and food ; 

And every hour. 

Some tree or flower 
Reminds us God is good. 


VEGETABLES OF COLD CLIMATES. 107 



Reindeer. 


CHAPTER XXV. 

Vegetables of Cold Climates. 

Why are not plants more easily thrown down 
or blown away by the wind ? 

A. Because their roots hold them fast in the 
ground. 

If you stand up a short thick stick, and a tall 


108 VEGETABLES OF COLD CLIMATES. 

slender one, which can you knock down most 
easily ? 

A. The tall slender one. 

Then what trees need the largest roots ? 

A. The tallest and largest trees. 

When the ground is frozen hard, can you push 
a stick into it ? 

A. I cannot. 

Can trees spread their roots when the ground 
is frozen ? ' ■ 

A. No. 

Is the ground always frozen in the cold cli- 
mates that are inhabited ? 

A. Not always. It thaws for a short time in 
the summer. 

Are the summers there long enough to make 
the ground soft, deep in the earth ? 

A. No, the summers are too short for that. 

Then trees with long roots could not grow in 
very cold climates. Do they ever have large 
trees there ? ^ 


VEGETABLES OP COLD CLIMATES. 109 

A. Never ; they have only bushes and dwarf 
trees. 

Do trees grow in winter in our climate ? 

A. They do not. " 

Then there is another reason why the trees 
in cold climates do not grow large. What is 
it? 

A. Because they do not have time to grow 
much, during the short summer. 

You have seen moss growing : did it require 
much soil for the roots ? 

A. Not much; for it grows on rocks and 
fences. 

True ; moss grows in great quantities in cold 
climates, because it can bear the cold, and does 
not need much soil. F or what is it there used ? 

A. As food for men and animals. 

For any thing else ? 

A. Yes; for beds and cushions, and to burn 
as fuel. 

It is a different kind of moss fronx what we 


110 VEGETABLES OF COLD CLIMATES. 


find here. Have they any fruit in these cold 
regions ? 

A. Only a few wild berries. 

The moss will grow 
In beauty low, 

And care not to be seen ; 

^ And yet the rocks, 

And stones and stocks. 

It clothes in living green. 

And when it sees 
The aged trees 
Their leafless boughs display, 

The hue it wears 
It freely shares. 

To hide the sad decay. 

Then never scorn 
The clothes forlorn 
In which the poor are dress’d ; 

With thoughtful care, 

Their feelings spare. 

And comfort the distress’d. 


VEGETABLES OF HOT CLIMATES 


111 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Vegetables of Hot Climates. 

In the hottest countries, is there any weather 
cold enough to prevent the plants from growing ? 

A. There is not ; they keep growing all the 
while, till they get their full growth. 




112 VEGETABLES OF HOT CLIMATES. 

Do the trees there grow rapidly ? 

A. Very rapidly. 

Then their trees must be very large ? 

A. They are so large, that some single trees 
might shade hundreds of men. 

Travellers tell us of a tree that would spread 
over all the people of a very large city ; Are the 
leaves of those trees like ours ? 

A. They are much larger : some of them are 
as large as the top of a dining-table, and very 
smooth and green. 

What use do the people make of these large 
leaves ? 

A. They cover the roofs of their houses with 
palm-leaves, and make of them baskets, mats, 
fans, and many other things. 

Vines covered wth beautiful flowers hang from 
some of the tall trees, in festoons like Christmas 
wreaths. Have they many kinds of fruit? 

A. Yes ; a greater variety than we have. 

They have large and juicy fruits of beautiful 
colors. Why do they need more juicy fruits in 
a hot climate than we do in ours ? 


VEGETABLES OF HOT CLIMATES. 113 

A. Because the heat makes the people thirsty. 

Then how kindly are these juicy fruits given 
to them by the Creator ! Are the fruits of hot 
countries ever brought to us ? 

A. Some of them are, such as oranges, lemons, 
and cocoa-nuts. 

Will you mention some of the fruits of hot 
countries that are first dried and then brought 
to us ? 

Are their flowers like ours ? 

A. Some of them are ; others are of brighter 
colors, and more beautiful. 

Do we ever have any of the flowers of a hot 
climate brought here ? 

A. We do. They are kept warm through 
the winter in green-houses ; for they would die 
in the open air. 

In countries where great is the heat, 

The gayest of flowers 
Abound in the bowers, 

And fruits that are juicy and sweet. 


8 


114 VEGETABLES OF TEMPERATE CLIMATES. 


CHAPTER XXVII. 

r 

Vegetables of a Temperate Climate. 

As you live in a temperate climate, you know 
what grows here; you must therefore try to 
answer the questions yourself, without being 
told. Will you tell me the names of all the trees 
you have ever seen ? 

Which of them keep their leaves on all winter, 
and are called evergreens? 

Which bear nuts that are eaten? 

What fruit have you seen growing upon trees ? 

What upon bushes ? 

What upon vines ? 

What roots do we eat ? 

What stalks and green leaves do we eat ? 

Of what wild flowers can you tell the names ? 


VEGETABLES OF A TEMPERATE CLIMATE. 115 ' 


What are some of the plants that animals eat ? 

You have heard of a plant called flax : vrhat 
kind of cloth is made of it ? 

What kinds of cloth are made from the cotton 
plant ? 

Wheat is one of the most important plants of 
a temperate climate : have you ever seen it grow- 
ing ? How did it look ? 

V 

There is a plant you often see 
In gardens and in fields ; 

Its stalk is straight, its leaves are long, 

And precious fruit it yields. 

The fruit, when young, is soft and white, 

And closely wrapped in green ; 

And tassels hang from every ear, 

Which children love to glean. 

But when the tassels fade away, 

The fruit is ripe and old ; 

It peeps from out the wrapping dry 
Like heads of yellow gold. 


116 VEGETABLES OF A TEMPERATE CLIMATE. 


The fruit, when young, we boil and roast ; 

When old, we grind it well. 

Now think of all the plants you know. 
And try its name to tell. 



Indian Corn. 


ANIMALS 


117 



Adam naming the Animals. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Animals. 

What are all creatures that have life called ? 
A. Animals. 

Where do animals live ? 

A. Some live on the land, and some in the 
water. 


118 


ANIMALS. 


Are men, beasts, birds, fishes, reptiles, and 
insects, all animals ? 

A. They are. 

When four-footed animals live away from 
men, and take care of themselves, what are they 
called ? 

A. Wild beasts. 

Where do wild beasts live ? 

A. In woods, and prairies, and caves, and 
deserts. 

What are prairies? 

A. Large tracts of country, covered all over 
with long grass and flowers, and not a tree upon 
them. 

What is meant by hunting ? 

A. Going out after wild animals, to chase and 
kill them. 

Why do men hunt for wild beasts ? 

A. They often do it for sport ; but sometimes 
they want their flesh to eat, and their skins for 
clothing. - ' 


ANIMALS. 


119 


What are those animals called that men take 
care of, and make useful ? 

A. Tame or domestic animals. 

What is the covering of beasts ? 

A. Hair, or fur. 

With what are birds covered ? 

A. Feathers. 

What is the covering of fishes ? 

A. Scales. 

When fishes are covered with a hard shell, 
like lobsters and oysters, what are they called ? 
A. Shell-fish. 

What are reptiles ? 

A. Creatures that crawl upon the ground, 
like snakes and lizards. 

Which class of animals is the most poisonous ? 
A. Reptiles. 

With what are insects generally covered? 

A. With a hard skin or shell. 

What class of animals is the smallest? 

A. Insects. 

What classes of animals are most used for 
food ? 


120 


ANIMALS. 


A. Beasts, birds, and fishes. 

Are insects and reptiles ever used for food ? 

A. Not in our country ; but there are places 
where some insects and reptiles are thought - 
delicious food. 

What is the mind, or sagacity, that animals 
possess, called ? 

A. Instinct. 


The animals live everywhere, 

Upon the ground and in the air ; 
They fill the trees 
And crowd the seas ; 

Along the rocks and plains they pass. 
And hide them in the waving grass. 


ANIMALS OF A COLD CLIMATE. 


121 


CHAPTER XXIX. 

Animals of a Cold Climate. 

Are there many land animals in cold coun- 
tries ? 

A. V ery few ; they could not find food to live 
upon. 

How are they protected from the cold ? 

A. By long hair and soft fur. 

Do the people of these countries use the skins 
of the wild beasts for clothing ? 

A. They use them for coats, caps, boots, and 
mantles. 

They make use of them for beds, bed-covering, 
and curtains. They would suffer very much 
without them. The furs they do not use them- 
selves, they send away to sell or exchange for 

1 


122 ANIMALS OF A COLD CLIMATE. 

other articles that they need, and in that way 
we get the beautiful furs for muffs, &c. 

Have you ever seen a white bear ? 

Those white bears that are carried about with 
a menagerie, suffer much from the heat of the 
climate. To cool them, the men who have the 
care of them, place over their cages large pieces 
of ice in a kind of pan with holes in it. The 
ice melts and slowly drops through the holes 
upon the poor white bear ; yet, even with all this 
care, he suffers with the heat, because he was 
made to live amidst snow and ice. 

What animals do the people in those cold 
countries use, instead of horses ? 



Reindeer and Sledges. 


ANIMALS OF A COLD CLIMATE. 


123 


A. Reindeer and strong dogs, which they 
harness to sledges, which are swiftly drawn over 
the snow. 

Do they make any other use of the reindeer ? 

A. They use every part of it for some pur- 
pose ; its flesh for food, its skin for clothing, its 
horns for knife-handles, and many other things. 

Which would you like best to be drawn by, a 
reindeer with its branching horns, or four stout 
dogs ? 

What large sea-animals have they in these 
cold countries ? 

A. Whales and seals. 



A Whale and Seals, 



124 


ANIMALS OF A COLD CLIMATE. 


Do they use the fat of whales and seals for 
oil ? 

A. They burn it for lights, and they eat it 
too. They think the blubber, as the fat is called, 
very nice food. When the children cry, the 
mothers put a piece of blubber in their mouths, 
instead of a lump of sugar. 

You have seen some of the bones of whales, 
such as the whalebones which we use : what 
part of the whale are they taken from ? 

A. The roof of the mouth. 

What birds have they ? 

A. Wild ducks and other sea-fowl. 

Have they many reptiles and insects ? 

A. Very few ; the ground and the air are too 
cold for them. 

The eider-duck can bear the cold, 

And face the wintry storm, 

For she is nicely wrapped in down. 

Which keeps her dry and warm. 


ANIMALS OF A HOT CLIMATE. 


125 




CHAPTER XXX. 

Animals of a Hot Climate. 

Are there many animals in hot climates? 

A. A great many ; they fill the thick woods, 
and hide in the long grass and reeds by the 
rivers. 

What are those thick woods called ? 

A. Jungles. 

Do the wild beasts differ from those of a tem- 
perate climate ? 

A. They do ; they are larger and more fierce. 

What large wild animal is sometimes called 
the king of beasts ? 

.4.,cThe lion. 

The tiger is found in hot countries : what does 
he resemble ? 


126 


ANIMALS OF A HOT CLIMATE. 



A. A large and fierce cat. 

And the leopard ? 

A. He is beautifully spotted. 

What do these wild beasts feed upon ? 

A. The flesh of all the other animals that 

r 

they can kill ' hyenas, jackals, and many other 
fierce animals abound in these hot countries, 
and varieties of monkeys and apes; they sit 
upon the trees, sometimes cracking nuts, and 
throw the shells at each other, like schoolboys 


The Zebra. 


ANIMALS OF A HOT CLIMATE. 


127 


in a frolic. What animal is said to look the 
most like man ? 

A. The ouran<?-outanof. 

O O 

There is a handsome striped animal, resem- 
bling a horse ; - what is his name ? 

A. The zebra. 

Is the zebra a beast of prey ? 

A. He is not, for he does not feed upon other 
animals. 

What other large animals feed upon plants ? 

A. The elephant and rhinoceros. 

Are they covered with fur ? 

A. They are not ; they have very thick and 
tough skins. 

The elephant is very fierce when wild in the 
woods ; is he ever tamed ? 

A. He is, and becomes, when kindly treated, 
very gentle and obedient. 

■ How is he made useful ? 

A. He is made to draw heavy burdens; he 
carries a whole family on his back, when they 


128 


ANIMA.LS OF A HOT CLIMATE. 


wish to take a ride ; and soldiers, when they go 
to battle. 

What animal is used for long journeys across 
sandy deserts ? 

A. The patient camel. 

Do you remember what you learned about the 
camel in the first part of this book ? 

Are there, birds in every tree in these coun- 
tries ? 

A. They have very beautiful birds, with 
feathers of the brightest and gayest colors. 

Their large trees, filled with parrots, parro- 
quets, and birds-of-paradise, must look beauti- 
ful. Are their insects as gay as their birds ? 

A. Yes ; and they swarm in the air, and darken 
it like clouds, and run over the floors and walls 
in troops. 

Among many reasons why it is unpleasant to 
live in hot countries, mention one. 

A. Because they have so many poisonous 
reptiles. 

Are their snakes of a large size ? 


ANIMALS OF A HOT CLIMATE. 


129 


A. Some of them are very large ; the ana- 
conda is as large round as the body of a boy, 
and he crushes animals by winding himself 
around them, and then swallows them whole. 
The smaller snakes crawl into the houses, and 
even into the beds of the people. We have been 
able to tell you very little about animals here ; 
you will learn all about them when you study 
Natural History. 








t T I * 







I'/ 




9 


The Elephant and the Child. 


130 


ANIMALS OF A HOT CLIMATE. 


The arching trees above a path, 

Had formed a pleasant shade ; 

And here, to screen him while he slept, 
An infant boy was laid. 

His mother near him gather’d fruit, — 
But soon with fear she cried. 

For slowly moving down the path. 

An elephant she spied. 

The sticks he crushed beneath his feet. 
Had waked the sleeping child, 

Who pushed aside the waving curls. 
And looked at him, and smiled. 

The mother could not reach the spot,— 
With fear she held her breath, — 

And there in agony she stood 
To see him crushed to death. 

His heavy foot the monster held 
Awhile above the boy. 

Who laughed to see it moving there. 
And clapped his hands with joy. 


ANIMALS OF A HOT CLIMATE. 


131 


The mother saw it reach the ground. 

Beyond her infant son ; 

And watched till every foot was safe 
Across the little one. 

She caught the infant from the ground, 
For there, unharmed, he lay ; 

And could have thanked the noble beast, 
Who slowly stalked away. 


132 ANIMALS OF A TEMPERATE CLIMATE. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Animals of a Temperate Climate. 

There are not as many wild beasts in tem- 
perate climates as in the hotter ones, about 
which you have just learned. More people live 
in temperate climates, and they kill the wild 


ANIMALS OF A TEMPERATE CLIMATE. 133 

beasts and drive them away ; yet there are many 
left, very wild and fierce, and others graceful 
and beautiful. In the wide prairies of the western 
part of our own country, large herds of buffaloes 
are often seen. Panthers, bears, and wolves are 
found in temperate climates. The wolves are 
in some places so bold, that they will come to 
the farm-houses, which are far away from the 
towns, and carry off sheep from the folds, and 
even young children. 

There are many large and beautiful wild birds 
in temperate climates. There is one large bird, 
that builds its nest upon high rocks and the tops 
of tall trees. This bird carries away whole 
lambs to her young birds in the nest. It is the 
sign or emblem of our country, and is called 
the American eagle. 

You have probably not seen many of the wild 
beasts of our country, but you know all about 
our domestic animals. 

What tame animals are here used to ride upon, 
and to draw heavy burdens ? 


134 ANIMALS OF A TEMPERATE CLIMATE. 

What animals give ns milk ? 

What domestic animals do we use for food ? 
What for clothing ? • 

What animal is the companion of man, and 
guards his house by night ? ' 

What other domestic animals have you seen ? 
Mention the wild birds you have seen. 

The tame birds. 

What reptiles did you ever see ? 

What worm spins silk ? - 

What harmless insects have you seen ? 

What stinging insects ? 

What insects make us sweet food ? 

Which is your favorite animal ? 

I am a large and awkward bird, 

And have been tamed by man ; 

He often roasts me for his food — . 

Now guess me, if you can. 

When young, my dress is yellow down ; 

When old, ’tis gray or white : 

I make your beds and pillows soft, 

And help you when you write. 


ANIMALS OF A TEMPERATE CLIMATE. 135 


Although I open wide my mouth, 
I never say a word ; 

Yet I am made a laughing-stock, 
And called a silly bird. 



136 


MEN. 



Men of different Races. 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Men. 

What superior animals find out uses for the 
minerals, cultivate the plants, and govern the 
other animals? 

A. Men. 



MEN. 


137 


What makes them superior to the other ani- 
mals ? 

A. The spirit or mind which God breathed 
into man at his first creation. 

Are men alike all over the world ? 

A. No; they differ in different countries and 
, climates. 

Have they not always the same features, — 
that is, eyes, nose, mouth, &c. ? 

A. They have the same features, but they 
differ in form. The noses of some are fiat, and 
their lips thick. They differ in color, too. Some 
are white, like the people of our country ; others 
red men, like the Indians who once lived where 
we do now. Then there are brown men, and 
black men. 

When you study a large geography, you will 
learn about the different countries on the earth, 
and the people who live in them. Your little 
geography has taught you about the divisions . 
of the earth, its climates, soil, and productions. 

When you walk in the country, and see the 

K 


138 


MEN. 


beautiful flowers and trees, and enjoy the com- 
forts of your home, what ought you to remember? 

A. That it is God who made the world, and 
gives me all that I enjoy ; and I ought ’to thank 
him for it. 

When you do any thing that you know to be 
wrong, who are you offending ? 

A. The good God, who has watched over me 
night and day, ever since I was born. 

My dear child, although this world is so beau- 
tiful, you know we are not to live in it for ever. 
When we die, our bodies will hs laid in the 
ground of this earth ; but if we love God and 
obey him here, he will take us to live with him 
in heaven. Let us ask our heavenly Father to 
make us his own children, that we may be pre- 
pared to be happy in his home. 

Let children raise 
Their songs of praise 
To Him who dwells above ; 

For everywhere, 

In earth and air, 

^4' see that “ God is love.” 






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